Will washing a tomato protect you from salmonella? Probably not.
Categories: Health & safety, Eating & nutrition, In the news, Mealtime
You may say tomato and I may say to-mah-to, but for a while there last week, tomato lovers were ready to call the whole thing off. Salmonella saintpaul, an unusual strain of the bacteria, has sickened nearly 200 people in at least 17 states and has been linked to tainted tomatoes. Slate explains how tomatoes can become contaminated with salmonella, a bacteria that lives only in the intestinal tracts of humans and animals. In general, the most common culprits are contaminated water supplies, manure, or run-off. Though tomatoes get a good washing before they're packaged for sale, when the surface of the tomato is compromised -- such as when it's picked from the vine or sliced with a knife -- the bacteria (if it's present) can get inside, which means no amount of washing is going to help.
Washing can eliminate a large portion of bacteria, as well as dirt and pesticides. In fact, most health experts recommend washing your produce in cool water, drying completely, then storing immediately in the refrigerator (if the food in question is meant to stay cool). They also suggest that you throw produce away when it starts to go bad. Though this won't necessarily protect a person from an outbreak like the ones we've seen recently, it's still good food hygiene.
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